U.S. Sends Troops Back To Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The U.S. military is sending dozens of regular troops to Somalia in the largest such deployment to the Horn of Africa country in roughly two decades.

The United States pulled out of Somalia after 1993, when two helicopters were shot down in the capital, Mogadishu, and bodies of Americans were dragged through the streets.

The U.S. Africa Command on Friday said this deployment is for logistics training of Somalia’s army, which is battling the extremist group al-Shabab.

The U.S. in recent years has sent some special operations forces and advisers to Somalia, and President Donald Trump recently approved an expanded military role there. It includes carrying out more aggressive airstrikes against al-Shabab.

The country’s new Somali-American president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, last week declared a new offensive against the extremist group.